Called! Not Suggested

…to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be
saints…1 Corinthians 1:2

 I often ask my students what they want to be when they grow up.  I get lots of great answers to that question, and every once in a while I get the million dollar answer, “Mrs. Wohlfert, I want to be a saint.” That child may or may not be the best reader or math student, but I know they are intelligent beyond measure if they can give me that answer!  As this verse from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us, being a saint isn’t just a suggestion, it’s an expectation; it’s what we are CALLED to be.  God created us in His image and likeness so we could what? So we could be like Him. That’s our job on earth…to follow His example and be His hands and feet, spreading His love and peace here on earth.

So what‘s in the“saint” job description?   We should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”  Whew… that’s all? While that may sound like one tall order, it really spells things out quite clearly.  If we are going to rise to the expectation, we need to make sure our thoughts, words and actions are offered to, and acceptable to God.  Our journey toward sainthood begins every morning before our feet even hit the floor.  We should begin each day with the words; God, I offer this day to you…please help me serve and honor You in all that I do.  Talk about a powerful thought to keep our words and actions on the right path.   We also need to remember we are NOT in this alone. God didn’t say “I’m calling you to sainthood now go figure out how to do it on your own!” He slathers us with grace, mercy and the intercession of the entire Communion of Saints to help!  The Communion of  Saints is not only the saints we can name and find a picture of in a book, it’s the entire troop of all the faithful departed in Heaven and they have one job…to help you and help me join their ranks! Imagine entering a coliseum filled with more people than you have ever seen assembled in one place…multiply that crowd by 1000…that’s not even a fraction of those that form the Communion of Saints and they are all yelling and cheering for YOU as you set out on your daily journey toward sainthood.

 As we celebrate our “Heroes of Faith”, let that celebration serve as a time to renew our commitment to sainthood…after all, it’s not a suggestion, it’s what we are called by God to
be!

A seed to plant: Make a list of saints-like qualities you can strive for each day.  Bravery, honesty and unquenchable thirst for the Lord are just a few to begin with. 

Blessings on your day!